Soy Milk Jelly
豆乳ゼリー · Tonyu Zeri
By Aoi, licensed nutritionist · From a Japanese preschool lunch menu
This soft, lightly sweet jelly is a classic afternoon snack in Japanese preschool kitchens. Instead of gelatin, it is set with kanten (agar), a seaweed-based setting agent that gives a tender bite and holds up even on a warm day. Sweetened soy milk gives it a mild, creamy flavor, and the pieces of mandarin orange and pineapple tucked inside make every spoonful a little surprise for the kids. The only real trick is to boil the kanten long enough to dissolve it completely, so the jelly sets nicely. It is made without egg, milk or wheat.
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Ingredients
Amounts for 1 child (1 serving). An adult counts as 2 servings.
One serving here is 1.5× the portion served to a child in a Japanese preschool, sized for Western appetites. An adult counts as two servings. Tap an ingredient to check it off.
Seasonings
- 0.9 gkanten powder (agar powder)A seaweed-based setting agent that gels firmly at room temperature and is plant-based. Substitute: Agar-agar powder; gelatin can be used but gives a softer, wobblier set.
- 45 gwater
- 8.3 gsugar
Ingredients
- 75 gsweetened soy milk (Japanese chosei tonyu)Japanese 'prepared' soy milk that is lightly sweetened and flavored to taste milder than plain soy milk. Substitute: Regular (original, lightly sweetened) soy milk from the supermarket.
- 22.5 gcanned mandarin oranges
- 22.5 gcanned pineapple
About the Japanese ingredients in this recipe
- kanten powder (agar powder) (粉寒天)
- A seaweed-based setting agent that gels firmly at room temperature and is plant-based. Substitute: Agar-agar powder; gelatin can be used but gives a softer, wobblier set.
- sweetened soy milk (Japanese chosei tonyu) (調製豆乳)
- Japanese 'prepared' soy milk that is lightly sweetened and flavored to taste milder than plain soy milk. Substitute: Regular (original, lightly sweetened) soy milk from the supermarket.
Directions
- 1
Warm the soy milk in a pot to about 40°C (104°F). (If it gets too hot, the jelly will take longer to set, so warm it only to roughly body temperature.)
- 2
Put the kanten powder and water in a separate pot, bring to a boil, and keep boiling for about 2 minutes until the kanten is completely dissolved. Add the sugar and mix well. Stir in the warmed soy milk from step 1.
- 3
Drain the canned mandarin oranges and canned pineapple, and cut the pineapple into 8 pieces. Mix the fruit together and spread it evenly in a shallow tray.
- 4
Pour the soy milk mixture from step 2 over the fruit in the tray from step 3 and chill in the refrigerator until set. Cut into pieces that are easy for children to eat.
Kanten will not set unless it is fully dissolved, so keep the mixture at a boil and cook it until every trace of powder has melted.
Nutrition
| Per | 1 serving | 1 adult serving | Your total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Energy | 111 kcal | 222 kcal | 111 kcal |
| Protein | 2.7 g | 5.4 g | 2.7 g |
| Fat | 2.7 g | 5.4 g | 2.7 g |
| Carbohydrates | 20.5 g | 41.1 g | 20.5 g |
| Fiber | 2 g | 3.9 g | 2 g |
| Salt equivalent | 0.2 g | 0.3 g | 0.2 g |
| Calcium | 28.5 mg | 57 mg | 28.5 mg |
| Iron | 1 mg | 2.1 mg | 1 mg |
| Potassium | 171 mg | 342 mg | 171 mg |
| Energy | Protein | Fat | Carbs | Fiber | Salt equiv. | Calcium | Iron | Potassium | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 serving | 111 kcal | 2.7 g | 2.7 g | 20.5 g | 2 g | 0.2 g | 28.5 mg | 1 mg | 171 mg |
| 1 adult serving | 222 kcal | 5.4 g | 5.4 g | 41.1 g | 3.9 g | 0.3 g | 57 mg | 2.1 mg | 342 mg |
Values are per serving (1.5× the Japanese preschool portion); an adult serving is double. They were calculated by a licensed Japanese nutritionist using the Standard Tables of Food Composition in Japan. "Salt equivalent" is sodium × 2.54, the standard Japanese measure. Allergen flags cover egg, milk and wheat only and come from the nutritionist's records. Soy sauce and miso are made with wheat but are usually allowed on Japanese wheat-free school menus, so check with your doctor.
